The joy of old age: AI in Russia began to adapt for pensioners
Manufacturers of smart devices have begun to focus on pensioners, Izvestia found out. New functions of domestic AI assistants allow you to decipher medical prescriptions, select and order medicines, remind you about taking medications and make an appointment with a doctor. However, not all of these features work flawlessly so far. During testing, our correspondent encountered forgotten requests, refusals by the AI secretary to make an appointment with a specialist, and confusion with hospital departments. The developers note that the intelligent assistant functions are still in beta testing. Psychologists believe that the number of pensioners using artificial intelligence will grow.
From doctor's appointment to health monitoring
Russian technology companies are developing digital tools that can be useful to older people. So, starting on November 12, a special mode became available in Alice AI to a limited number of users, allowing them to assign sequential tasks to the neural network. This feature can be especially useful for people who need to regularly address health-related issues. It is currently in beta testing.
— For an audience over the age of 45, a clear result and a sense of control are especially important. Therefore, the development of neural networks is moving towards a natural dialogue: a person does not need to know technical terms or switch between applications — it is enough to explain what he wants to get, " the Yandex press service told Izvestia.
For example, an AI agent can find a suitable clinic or specialist, compare options, clarify conditions over the phone, and arrange an appointment after user confirmation.
The Izvestia correspondent was one of the first to test this feature and found that the assistant does not always cope with tasks on the first attempt. Sometimes the chat forgets the user's request or encounters the unwillingness of the interlocutors to communicate with the AI assistant. In some cases, "Alice" simply reports that she has not understood the request or is not yet able to perform such actions.
Sber has been developing tools for the elderly for several years, but it began to implement them most actively after the release of a smart ring with a health tracking function. For example, a medical AI assistant advises on health issues, explains the symptoms of diseases and tells you how to prepare for procedures. This happened after its introduction into the remote monitoring program for patients with chronic non-communicable diseases, the company said.
"At the same time, existing medical services do not make diagnoses and do not replace a doctor's consultation," the press service said.
MTS has also confirmed this trend: voice control can significantly simplify the access of older people to digital services.
— Artificial intelligence fundamentally changes the ability of older people to use modern technologies. Previously, a person had to master each new device or application: understand the menu, memorize the sequence of actions, and learn how to use the interface. Now it's enough to explain to the AI in ordinary language what needs to be done: make an appointment with a doctor, order medications, or contact relatives. Moreover, more and more such tasks can be solved exclusively by voice," explained Denis Filippov, CEO of MWS AI.
The next step may be devices capable of simultaneously receiving audio and visual information. Such an assistant will be able to analyze the environment, notice if a person has fallen, remind them about taking medications and, if necessary, offer help, the expert believes.
According to Vladimir Tolmachev, CEO of Salyut for Business, AI agents are able to perform tasks from start to finish, freeing people from routine. In the future, such an assistant will be able, for example, to arrange a trip to another city for treatment: select a clinic and specialists, coordinate appointment dates, find tickets and accommodation, and then adjust the plan if circumstances change.
— The fear of technology will disappear when AI becomes a familiar way to solve everyday tasks — to order groceries, find specialists or book tickets. People, including the elderly, will use it as naturally as they once started using smartphones: not because they believed in the technology, but because it simply helps solve a specific problem," he noted.
The digital interlocutor
The interest of older people in AI assistants will grow quite quickly, since voice assistants are able to satisfy not only everyday but also psychological needs, says Olga Valaeva, psychologist and head of the Virtual Clinic Scientific and Practical Center at the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis.
— Loneliness in old age is a risk factor associated with increased anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and even cardiovascular diseases. Some elderly people live in a regime where they are not asked a single question per day. A device that answers and asks questions itself is not just a gadget for them, but an interlocutor," the expert explained.
According to her, AI will not replace loved ones, but it can become an additional communication channel. Practical help may also be in demand, for example, with an appointment with a doctor and solving household issues. At the same time, the main customers of such solutions may not be the pensioners themselves, but their adult children. They simultaneously work, raise children and take care of aging parents, so the AI assistant is able to relieve them of some of the daily burden.
Mikhail Shurygin, Chairman of the ROCIT Commission on Cloud Technologies, hosting and Information security, agrees that voice interfaces are especially convenient for the older generation. According to him, complex interfaces and the need to use multiple applications are still a major barrier for many older people.
— However, the expansion of AI capabilities requires increased attention to the reliability of such systems. If an error in recognizing a musical composition does not lead to serious consequences, then an incorrectly recognized drug name or dosage may harm your health. In addition, older people may be vulnerable to fraudsters who use neural networks to fake votes," he warned.
Therefore, AI assistants should provide for confirmation of the actions performed and protection of personal and medical data, the expert emphasized. Artificial intelligence should help people interact with the healthcare system, and not replace a doctor, he recalled.
The development of such technologies is also important for training future generations of users. According to Grigory Uryev, CEO of Sinterra Media, the habit of interacting with voice assistants should be formed now.
— When our children reach old age, they will no longer understand why they need to type something and write somewhere in the old-fashioned way, if they can just talk to the device. I don't think this trend will turn around right now, but it's a step towards the digital future," he said.
Abroad, pensioners have already become an important part of the audience of smart services, whereas in Russia, AI services for people over 45 are just beginning to develop, said IT specialist Sergey Pomortsev.
Thus, the development of AI services for the older generation may become part of the transition to technologies that do not require special digital skills to use. However, in order to distribute them, it is necessary not only to expand the set of functions, but also to ensure the reliability of the execution of orders. Especially when it comes to medical services, personal data, and the safety of older users.
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